Religion in ancient Rome was polytheistic and based on Greek gods. Emperors were generally tolerant of other religions but expected people to respect Roman gods. When Rome conquered Judea in 63 BC, they allowed Hebrews to govern if they respected Roman laws, but many refused to worship Roman gods due to monotheism. This led to resistance and belief that a Messiah would restore the kingdom. Jesus was born in Judea in the early 1st century AD and began preaching a unique form of Judaism known as Christianity. He was crucified for defying Roman authority in 29 AD. The apostle Paul helped mold Jesus' teachings into a new religion of Christianity based on Jesus being God's son who

1. Discussion:
What was religion like in Rome?

2. Religion in the Roman Empire
Religion
in Rome was
polytheistic
& based upon
the Greek gods
Romans
worshiped the
gods but people
were not very
emotional about
their religion

3. Discussion:
How do you think the Romans treated people
they conquered who had different religions?

4. Emperors were mostly tolerant of other religions,
Religion in the Roman Empire
but expected everyone who lived in the empire to
respect the Roman gods as a sign of loyalty

5. In 63 B.C., thein the Roman Empire
Religion Romans conquered the
Hebrew kingdom of Judea & allowed
“Romanized Jews” (who showed respect
& obeyed Roman laws) to govern Judea
But, the Hebrews were
monotheistic & many refused to
pay respect to the Roman gods

6. Many Hebrews began to resist
Roman rule & believed that God
would send the Messiah to
restore the kingdom to the Jews

7. Discussion:
What happened in Judea during the Roman Empire?

8. The Birth of Jesus & Beginning of Christianity
Sometime between
6 & 4 B.C. in Judea,
a Jew named Jesus
was born; Many
considered Jesus to
be the Messiah
At the age of 30,
Jesus began
preaching a unique
version of Judaism
that became known
as Christianity

9. Discussion:
What were the
basic teachings
of Jesus?

10. The Teaching of Jesus
■ Jesus did good works, performed miracles,
& delivered his religious teachings
–Jesus preached a religion based on the
Jewish belief in one god (monotheism)
–Jesus taught that he was God’s son &
that God would rid the world of evil
–He taught of God’s love, mercy and
forgiveness towards others, & eternal life
in heaven for those who repent their sins
–He based much of his good works on the
Ten Commandments

11. Discussion:
What kind of
person would
Christianity
appeal to?

12. Jesus & the Disciples
Jesus’ message of eternal life Jesus’ followers
in heaven appealed to many were known as
people, especially the poor
disciples

13. Discussion:
How & for what reasons did Jesus die?

14. The Crucifixion of Jesus
Many Hebrews in Judea
did not accept the idea
that Jesus was a Messiah &
accused him of blasphemy
(contempt for God)
Roman leaders feared
Jesus’ growing popularity
In 29 A.D., Jesus was
arrested for defying Roman
authority & was crucified

15. Discussion:
What role did the apostle Paul play in Christianity?

16. The Spread of Christianity
The Apostles, especially
Paul, molded Jesus’
teachings into a new
religion called
Christianity based upon
the idea that Jesus was
God’s son & that he
died for man’s sins
The Apostles taught
that Jews & non-Jews
were welcome as
Christians

18. Discussion:
How did the Romans treat Hebrews & Christians?

19. Persecution of Jews & Christians
■ Spread of Judaism & Christianity were seen
as problems for the Roman emperors:
–Jews & Christians refused to worship the
Roman gods or recognize the emperor as
more important than God
–Many Christians & Jews were persecuted
by Romans; Many were crucified, exiled,
or executed during gladiator events
–Christians who died became martyrs
(people who sacrifice their lives for their
beliefs) which helped spread the faith

20. Discussion:
How was the early Christian Church organized?

21. Discussion:
What was unique about Emperor Constantine?

22. Christianity Becomes Recognized
■Christianity spread throughout Roman
Empire & gained popularity
–In 312 A.D., Emperor Constantine
converted to Christianity & issued
the Edict of Milan which gave
freedoms & equality to Christians
–In 395 A.D., Emperor Theodosius
made Christianity the official religion
of the Roman Empire

23. Organization of the Early Christian Church
■ Christians organized the faith:
–A hierarchy of leadership
was created in which local
priests were supervised by
regional bishops; The head
of the church was the Pope
who operated from Rome
–Teachings were collected
into the Bible, the official
source of religious truth
for Christianity

24. What are the similarities and
differences between Christianity and
other religions of the ancient world?